Democrats press Europeans on Palestinian statehood bid

The two top House Democrats, along with 56 other Democrats, are sending a letter today to 40 European heads of state, urging them not to support a Palestinian bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations.

In their letter , Democrats said that a U.N. vote to recognize Palestinian statehood could upset the long-running Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It could even cause renewed violence in the region, the Democrats said.

“It is our strong belief that such unilateral action would have devastating consequences for the peace process and the Palestinians themselves,” they wrote.

The letter also says that a vote for Palestinian recognition would cause the United States to “reconsider its assistance program for the Palestinian Authority and other aspects of U.S.-Palestinian relations.”The U.S. provides about $500 million a year in economic assistance and training aid for the Palestinian security forces.

Official recognition by the U.N. could allow Palestinians to pursue action against Israel in international courts. The United States and Israel have sought to forestall a vote, saying it would void a framework set up in the 1993 Oslo accords. That framework allowed an interim period of Palestinian self-rule, and then further negotiations to establish a two-state solution.

“We are confident that your government shares the United States’ commitment to a comprehensive resolution of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” the Democrats’ letter said. “That outcome can only be achieved through direct negotiations. A vote on a unilateral U.N. resolution will likely set prospects for peace back years.”

David A. Fahrenthold is a reporter covering the Trump family and their business interests. He has been at The Washington Post since 2000, and previously covered Congress, the federal bureaucracy, the environment and the D.C. police.